Feature: Teen jailed by Israel cut off from normal schooling

Malak al-Khatib, a 14-year-old girl from the village of Batin near the West Bank city of Ramallah, is the youngest ever Palestinian female prisoner in Israeli jails. She was unable to join her school which began on Saturday.

An Israeli army force arrested al-Khatib on Dec. 31 when she was leaving school together with her classmate. The young girl was accused of holding a knife and throwing stones at Israeli soldiers near her school in the village.

The girl was unable to enjoy her mid-term holiday like other schoolchildren since she has been in an Israeli jail since she was detained.

Malak al-Khatib is staying at Hasharon prison together with 21 female Palestinian prisoners, her mother said.

"The Israeli army arrested my daughter in front of her school as she finished her last examination of the first school term," said the sad mother.

The mother also said that since Malak was arrested, she was unable to visit her in prison. "The only time we were able to see her when she was brought to a military court," she said.

"We were only able to see her from faraway while her hands and legs cuffed with iron chains. I tried to approach her, touch her or speak to her, but the military guards prevented me from even talking to her," said Malak's mother.

As tears came out from the mother's eyes, she said "my little baby can't bear living in prison's condition or being handcuffed with iron chains. My heart is deeply broken and I'm so scared that something bad would happen to her. I really hope to see her getting released soon."

Last Wednesday, an Israeli military court sentenced Malak to two months imprisonment and a fine of 6,000 Shekels (about 1,500 U.S. dollars), according to the statement of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Prisoners' Club Association.

Malak's father told Xinhua that arresting his daughter "shows how brutal the Israeli occupation forces are, mainly against Palestinian children," adding "arresting Malak contradicts with all international laws and all charges are unfair and fabricated."

The father called on all international right groups to intervene and to help release his daughter and all other prisoners.

According to the prisoners' club, Malak is the youngest female prisoner in Israeli jails. Her case had gained a large popular support among the Palestinians and the Arabs on the Internet.

The Palestinian ministry of education condemned the arrest of Malak. It said in a press statement that "the unfair practices of the Israeli army against our schoolchildren are a clear violation to the international conventions and laws that guarantee security and freedom of education for children."

Jawad Bolos, the prisoners' club association attorney told Xinhua that Israel's policy of detaining teenagers "contradicts with all international laws and conventions.

"The Israelis hold children in their jails and treat them the same as they treat adults which is against the law," said Bolos, adding "the children are victimized and interrogated and the methods are used against them are the same methods used against adults," said Bolos.

The International Movement to defend children, which is active in the Palestinian territories, said in an earlier statement that in 2014, Israel detained 197 Palestinian people per month. Endit